My Top Five Cinematic Influences

Someday I hope to make movies of my own. It seems like a daunting, grueling profession but also extremely rewarding. I cannot imagine sitting down in a theater and watching my movie, and my script, come to "reality."

My intense movie-viewing and nerdy study of various filmmakers could certainly influence if I were to ever become a filmmaker myself. Even now, when I think of a plot or visualize a film in my head, certain plot devices and themes that are common among some of my favorites come up in my pointless, delusional, little thoughts. A certain level of influence is good, but obviously you don't want to see a ripoff film. Here's a question, though: Is it possible to make a film with no influence from past works? Is it still possible, in 2009, to totally break ground in filmmaking? Probably not.

So here, in no order, are the top five (yet ever-growing) influences on my future filmmaking career (...if that makes any sense?):

Charlie Kaufman - He's almost hard to be influential because he's basically making his own original genre. But just the intelligence in his scripts is something I dream of replicating. Sometimes it's almost as if he's too smart for all of us. Yet he's not just being mind-beinding; he's creating a heartfelt story that has a message. Not many people have written four perfect screenplays.

Quentin Tarantino - Who isn't influenced by him? There have been numerous knock-offs of his work over the past ten years, but no one can get dialogue so brilliant of a film so cool in its hip style. Pulp Fiction changed movies forever. Yes, he's a little crazy and a total dick, but even that comes across kind of cool in a snobby way. Whatever, the appropriately constant violence in his movies and the trademark non-linear plots are one-of-a-kind.

Ethan and Joel Coen: The characters, plot and even setting reveal the type of movie the Coens wanna make and they follow through. They have basically made their own fascinating little genre of crime, drama, comedy-type vehicles. The best thing about the Coens though, has to be their characters. They're written so well, that in my book, a few of their best characters have become legendary.

Baz Luhrmann - Maybe not influential in the story and plotting area, but certainly in his aesthetic. I'm maybe not as off-the-walls but I think a film can be enhanced so much by, like, colors and ADHD camerawork. A movie can also be killed by that type of thing, but Baz can pull it off.

Billy Wilder - His ability to morph into various genres yet relay a distinguishable style and theme throughout his filmography is just pure talent. His screenplays are almost a little silly, yet so intelligent at the same time, and very few writers have written better dialogue than he. An ode to his talent: his movies remain entertaining after half a century.

Who are your biggest cinematic influences?